Compaction bodies



Feb. 28, 1961 G. R. DEMPSTER EI'AL 2,973,111

COMPACTION BODIES Filed Feb. 11, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS GEORGE R. DEMPSTER W/LL/AM A. HERP/CH BY M L;

ATTORNEYS Feb. 28, 1961 e. R. DEMPSTER ETAL 2,973,111

COMPACTION BODIES Filed Feb. 11, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 2 ununnnnn "I GEORGE R. DEMPSTER WILL/AM A. HERP/CH BYM-t -L- ATTORNEYS Feb. 28, 1961 DEMPsTER n 2,973,111

COMPACTION BODIES Filed Feb. 11, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS GEORGE R. DEMPSTER W/LL/AM A. HERP/CH ATTORNEYS 2,973,111 QOMPACTION Booms George R. Dempster mil William A. Herpich, Knoxville, Tenn; said Herpich assignor to Dempster Brothers, Inc., a corporation of Tennessee Filed Feb. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 714,641

9 Claims. (Cl. 214-82) loading hopper is open, which is objectionable because this permits light weight refuse to be blown out of the hopper and to be strewn along the streets.

One object of this invention is to provide a closure or cover for the hopper which will confine the refuse therein and prevent the accidental blowing out of the hopper, especially dining travel of the vehicle from place to place.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the effective latching of the cover in its closed position, synchronized with the position of the packer device, such that the cover is securely latched in all positions of the packer except when it is in place for receiving refuse in the body.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cover for the hopper of the compaction body which will serve also as a compression door to force the material into the body prior to compacting action of the head.

These objects may be accomplished, according to certain embodiments of tr e invention, in which a cover or lid is movably mounted on the compaction body in position to close the hopper opening. This cover or lid preferably is pivotally mounted for swinging movement into and out of the hopper so as to compress the refuse therein and downwardly into the path of the packer head, holding it in such relation that the refuse will be picked up and moved lengthwise of the body by the packer head for effective compacting action.

it is preferred that the cover or lid be latched in place, especially during the movement of the packer head and in all positions of the latter except when the head is in such position as to receive refuse in the body in the path of the head, and to release the cover or lid automatically when the packer head has been moved into its extreme position for the filling of refuse in the body.

These embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a compaction body mounted on a motor vehicle;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a portion of the ate'ntO body, showing the compaction head and cover in relation thereto;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the latch assembly in open or released position;

Fig. 4 is a similar view, showing the latch engaged;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section therethrough, substan- 2,973,111 Patented Feb. 28, 1961 Fig. 7 is a similar view, showing a further modification.

The invention is shown in Fig. 1 as applied to a motor vehicle having a chassis 1, power operated in the usual manner of a self-propelled vehicle and including a cab structure 2 enclosing the motor and driver compartment.

Mounted on the chassis 1 is a compaction body, generally indicated at 3, and which is an elongated enclosed structure having doors or other suitable means, generally indicated at 4, at the rear end thereof for discharge of the refuse therefrom. A packer head is indicated at 5, operatively mounted in the body 3 for movement lengthwise thereof between the positions illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Any suitable form of packer head and mechanism for operating the same may be used, as desired.

The compaction body 3 is provided with an opening in the top thereof for receiving refuse therein, which open ing is partly or entirely surrounded by a hopper, generally indicated at 6.

Mounted on the body 3 is a cover or lid, generally indicated at 8 in Fig. 1, so as to swing into the hopper 6, substantially to close the opening into the top of the compaction body. The closed position of the cover 7 is shown in full lines in Figs. 2 to 4, where the bottom of the cover lies substantially flush with the bottom inside face of the top wall of the body, in such position that the packer head 5 can move lengthwise of the body beneath the cover. The cover 7 can be raised or lowered, as desired, but we prefer, according to the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 to 5, to have means for latching the cover in its closed position whenever the packer head 5 is out of its forwardmost position, as, for example, when the packer head is moved to a compaction position or the vehicle is traveling along the streets.

The latch assembly shown includes a. latch plunger 9 slidably mounted in a sleeve 10 secured upon a mounting pad 11 that is connected by welding, bolting, or other type of fastenings to the top inside surface of the compaction body 3. A compression spring 12 is interposed between a flat washer 13 fixed on the plunger 9 and a bracket 14 also secured to the inside top surface of the body 3. Normally, the spring 12 tends to project the plunger forwardly relative to the sleeve 10 in the relation shown in Fig. 4.

At its forward end, the plunger 9 is preferably tapered to enter an eye 15 formed in a striker plate 16 that is secured to the undersurface of the cover or lid 7. The striker plate 16 may be offset somewhat to facilitate retraction of the plunger 9 upon closing of the cover and guiding the plunger into the eye 15. This striker plate 16 may be braced by flanges 17 which are also welded to the bottom surface of the cover 7.

The packer head 5 is provided with a pocket or recess' in the forward face thereof, as indicated at 18 in Figs. 3 to 5, sufiiciently wide to surround and by-pass the striker plate 16 and to clear the latter as the packer head moves lengthwise of the body 3. This pocket or recess 18 is not sufiiciently wide, however, to pass over a plunger plate 19 that is attached to the plunger 9 and extends transversely thereof, being rigidly fixed thereto.

As the packer head 5 is moved to its extreme forward position in the body 3,, as shown at the left dotted line position in Fig. 1, the opposite side walls of the pocket or recess 18 will contact both opposite ends of the pressure plate 19 and push the plunger 9 toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, compressing the spring 12 and disengaging the forward end of the plunger 9 from the eye 15 in the striker plate 16. In this position, the latch assembly disengages the cover 7 and permits the latter to be opened or closed. After filling, the cover 7 can be closed again over the hopper 6 and it can be latched in'its closed position automatically by release of the plunger '9 through movement of thepackerhead 5 a few inches toward the rearward end of the body, sufiicient for the pocket or recess 18 to clear pressure plate 19, as viewed in Figs. -4 and 5. The actionof the spring 12 will then cause the plunger 9 to be'projected into the eye 15 of the striker plate 16, thereby latching the cover efiectively in place in closed position over the hopper 6. When it is desired to open the cover, it is merely necessary to move the packer head 5 again to its extreme forward position, which may be a difierence of only a few inches in travel in order to release the cover for opening movement for filling or otherwise.

A modification of the cover operating mechanism is illustrated in Fig. 6 which shows the compaction body 3 provided with a hopper 6 on the top thereof and having an opening through which refuse can be introduced into the body. The packer headis also shown at 5 for movement lengthwise of the body to compress the refuse therein.

In thisform of the invention, the cover or lid is indicated at 21, pivotally supported at 22 on the body 3 at one side of the hopper 6 for swinging movement between the closed and open positions of the lid, as indicated in full lines and in dotted lines in Fig. 6. Provision is made, preferably, for movement of the cover or lid under power to open and closed positions. Such power may be supplied, either mechanically or by attachment of a hydraulic cylinder to the lid, but the power thus applied can be used so as to cause the material to be forced into the body by actuation of the cover in on the refuse thus dumped into the hopper 6, or suitaction of the head'S.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 6, brackets 23 are connected with the cover or lid 21 at opposite sides thereof and extend laterally and downwardly through cut-out notches 24 in the opposite sides of the hopper 6. .Levers 25 are pivotally supported at 26 on opposite sides of the compaction body 3. Each of the levers 25 is pivotally connected at one end at 27, with an end of link 28 extending therefrom to a pivotal connection 29 joining said link to the adjacent bracket 23. The opposite end of the lever 25 carries a shoe, roller or other suitable guide means, generally indicated at 30, in position to be engaged by a bearing face 31 provided on a pick-up arm 32 pivotally supported at 33 on the adjacent side of the body 3 .or the chassis frame 1. Pick-up arms 32 on opposite sides of the body 3 are parts of front end loading mechanism disclosed more in detail in our prior application, Serial No. 662,252, filed May 28, 1957, now Patent No. 2,900,096, granted August 18, 1959.

In this form of the invention, the lid or cover 21 is normally closed, as shown in the full line position, and the lever 25 is in its full line position in Fig. 6. As the pick-up arm 32 is raised to the full line position, the face 31 thereon engages the shoe so that, upon continued upward movement of the pick-up arm 32, the lever 25 will be moved about its pivot 26 to the dotted line position in Fig. 6, thereby acting through the link 28 to swing the cover or lid 21 to its open position, as illustrated therein. The lid will be held open during dumping of the refuse in the hopper 6 by the loading mechanism, after which the pick-up arms 32 are lowered, thereby releasing the levers 25 and allowing the lid or cover 2 1 to be closed by gravity. The weight of the lid or cover may be suificient to provide a compacting action on the refuse thus dumped into the hopper 6, or suitable power means may be connected with the lid, such as a hydraulic cylinder, for positively closing the lid and effecting the compression action.

A further modification is illustrated in Fig. 7, wherein the cover or lid is formed of a pair of sections 35 hinged together at their adjacent edges. One of the cover sections 35 is hinged at 36 on the body 3, while the other cover section 35 has guide means 37 at its free edge thereof in position for guiding action with rails 38 ,thatextendalong opposite sides of the hopper 6. The hinged section of the cover is provided with brackets 39 pivotally connected with links 40 that extend to levers 41 adapted to be actuated by pick-up arms of the loading mechanism or by other suitable power means for actuating the cover.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in certain embodiments, it is recognized that other variations and changes may be made therein without departing from the invention'as set forth in the claims.

We claim:

1. In a compaction body having a filling opening and packer means within the body for movement relative to the filling opening, the combination of a cover, means mounting the cover on the body for opening and closing movements with respect to the filling opening, latch means on the body in position for latch engagement with the cover in the closed position thereof to hold the cover closed on the opening, and means actuated by the movement of the packer means for actuating the latch means.

2. In a compaction body having a filling opening and packer means within the body for movement relative to the filling opening, the combination of a cover, means mounting the cover on the body for opening and closing movements with respect to the filling opening, latch means on the body in position for latch engagement with the cover in the closed position thereof to hold the cover closed on the opening, and means actuated by the movement of the Packet means for releasing the latch means from latch engagement with the cover when the packer means is in a forward position relative to the filling opening.

3. In a compaction body having a filling opening and packer means within the body for movement relative to the-filling opening, the combination of a cover, means mounting the cover on the body for opening and closing movements with respect to the filling opening, latch means on the body in position for latch engagement with the coverin the closed position thereof to hold the cover closed on the opening, and means operatively connected with the packer means for controlling the action of the latch means and to release the latch means from the cover when the packer means is in a forward position relative to the filling opening with respect to the openin".

i. In a compaction body having a filling opening and packer means within the body for movement relative to the filling opening, the combination of a cover, means mounting the cover on the body for opening and closing movements with respect to the filling opening, latch means on the body in position for latch engagement with the cover in the closed position thereof to hold the cover closed on the opening, and means connected with the latch means in the path of movement of the packer means and actuated by the latter for releasing the latch means from the cover upon movement of the packer means to a forward position with respect to the opening.

5. In a compaction body having a filling opening and packer means within the body for movement relative to the filling opening, the combination of a cover, means mounting the cover on the body for opening and closing movements with respect to the filling opening, latch means on the body in position for latch engagement with the cover in the closed position thereof to hold the cover closed on the opening, said cover having a striker plate projecting into the body and provided with an eye therein, a latch plunger mounted on the inner side of the body in position for engaging the eye in the striker plate upon closing movement of the cover, and means yieldably urging the plunger into engagement with the striker plate for latching the cover closed.

6. In a compaction body having a filling opening and packer means within the body for movement relative to the filling opening, the combination of a cover, means mounting the cover on the body for opening and closing movements with respect to the filling opening, latch means on the body in position for latch engagement with the cover in the closed position thereof to hold the cover closed on the opening, said cover having a striker plate thereon provided with an eye therein, a latch plunger mounted in the body in position for engaging the eye in the striker plate upon closing movement of the cover, means yieldably urging the plunger into engagement with the striker plate for latching the cover closed, a pressure plate connected with the plunger, and means on the packer means in .the path of movement of the pressure plate for causing the plunger to be withdrawn upon movement of the packer means to a forward position relative to the filling opening.

7. In a compaction body having an opening for receiving refuse therein, the combination of a packer head operatively mounted in the body for movement to different positions with respect thereto, a cover for the filling opening, latch mechanism mounted in the body in position for engagement with the cover to latch the cover in closed position relative to the filling opening, and means connected with the packer head and actuated thereby for releasing the latch means upon movement of the packer head to a forward position relative to the filling opening in the body.

8. In a compaction 'body having an opening for receiving refuse therein, the combination of a packer head operatively mounted in the body for movement to difierent positions with respect thereto, a cover for the filling opening, latch mechanism mounted in the body in position for engagement with the cover to latch the cover in closed position relative to the filling opening, means connected with the packer head and actuated thereby for releasing the latch means upon movement of .the packer head to a forward position in the body relative to the filling opening, and means for causing engaging movement of the latch means with the cover upon movement of the packer head to a rearward \POSitiOI] with respect to the body.

9. In a compaction body having an opening for receiving refuse therein, the combination 7 of a packer head operatively mounted in the body for movement to different positions with respect thereto, a cover for the filling opening, latch mechanism mounted in the body in position for engagement with the cover to latch the cover in closed position relative to the filling opening, means connected with the packer head and actuated thereby for releasing the latch means upon movement of the packer head to a forward position in the body, and power means operatively connected with the cover for moving the cover relative to the filling opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,258,988 Le Laurin Oct. 14, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 682,290 Great Britain Nov. 5, 1952 

